Growth Response of the Confused Flour Beetle, Tribolium confusum (Duval) to Six Selected Protein Sources

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Abstract
An animal growth assay, using larvae of the confused flour beetle, Tribolium confusum (Duval), was used to measure the protein quality of a group of 6 selected food sources, whole egg, beef, egg albumin, peanut flour, casein and wheat gluten, which had been assayed previously using the rat, mouse and dog. In general, the order of protein quality was the same for the insect as for the mammals, with peanut flour showing higher values for the insect and albumin an apparent toxicity which had developed during storage. The flour beetle was shown to have a rather exacting requirement for minerals which could influence the apparent protein quality of different food sources. The beetle seems to have great potential value as a subject for fundamental research in nutrition.